UK – Fortnum & Mason is exploring the interlinked relationships between art, dining and environmentalism with a new installation inside the brand’s iconic Piccadilly flagship store.
To design the installation, which doubles as the centrepiece of the department store’s third-floor bar, Fortnum & Mason has called upon self-proclaimed Eco-Parametric French architect Arthur Mamou-Mani. The resulting artwork is The Wavery – a portmanteau word melding wave and rêverie (French for daydreaming), echoing the awe-inspiring shading created by rippled shapes in the structure.
As well as stunning visitors, the installation was designed to live up to the highest sustainability standards. The Wavery was locally created in a circular factory and entirely made of compostable materials like PLA, a bioplastic that generates 80% less carbon than conventional plastics and that can be industrially composted.
‘We love the idea of taking you on a journey to a future in which our objects are designed globally but made locally, and where we make everything from renewable and circular materials,’ says Mamou-Mani. The project, with its use of awe and highly sensorial experiences to address environmental issues, follows in the footsteps of brands rewilding the retail sector.
Strategic opportunity
Take cues from Fortnum & Mason’s project, skilfully leaning into environmentally positive architecture without alienating the brand’s heritage and appreciation of local craftsmanship